Mobile is big and Google knows it. Google has dominated the search market in the UK for some time now, with nearly a 90 per cent share of search on desktop devices. However, the search giant is expecting to see most of its revenue growth in 2014 and 2015 to come from mobile devices and anticipates gaining large search revenues by using ads on web browsers and mobile display advertising. In addition, Google now has one of the most popular mobile platforms on the market with Android.
In the last quarter of 2013 mobile was responsible for 31 per cent of total internet traffic, fuelled by the growth of faster networks and the rise of smartphones and this figure is growing at an exponential rate.
Businesses without a mobile SEO strategy now will already be falling way behind the market and if you haven’t already acted, the time to do so is now. Here are a few mobile optimisation tips your business should take note of this year:
Have a mobile friendly site
It sounds obvious, but you would be surprised how many large corporate businesses are without a mobile website. There are many debates online as to whether you should have a ‘responsive’ mobile site or a dedicated ‘separate’ mobile site. I personally believe responsive design works better for most businesses, as this allows webmasters to update one site and change the display and content dependent on the device. Furthermore, responsive designs don’t cause duplicate content issues.
User experience
User experience is one of the most important factors within a mobile site. People browsing websites on mobile devices tend to be limited on time. Often on their way to work, or at lunch and want information presented to them fast and efficiently. In addition the user experience of a site, including the bounce rate can cause a positive effect on rankings. You should spend lots of time harnessing the best mobile experience for your site and you could try some of the following:
- Slim down navigation
- Prioritise core features
- Offer mobile only functionality (bar codes, Google maps)
- Offer personalised settings
- Offer store locators
- A mobile SEO strategy that has your users at its ‘core’ will ultimately drive access.
Local Content
People on mobile devices tend to be on the move and are generally after the ‘right here right now’ answer more than desktop users. Surveys state more than 90 per cent of smartphone users have conducted a search for local information. Mobile sites must capitalise on this trend and implementing simple tactics like adding your businesses location, opening hours and offering easy to find contact information would form a nice starting place.
Social content
People using mobile devices tend to be very social, with most mobile users having Facebook open on a regular basis. To get your brand message out socially content should be made very easy to share. Adding in social share buttons will go some way towards achieving this. Facebook stated in Q3 that over 74 per cent of its traffic was now mobile.
Adding the ability to share content easily on mobile devices will tap into this lucrative sharing culture and get your message out there.
Conclusion
In 2014 you should have a combined content and strategy for both desktop and mobile users. It is very important to take time before releasing a mobile site and content. If you can develop a strong understanding of your audience and how they interact with your services on different devices, you can build a mobile strategy that drives quality traffic and is future proof